Everybody has a story to tell. Not everybody can tell his or her own story well. That’s where communications expert Wendy Scharfman comes in. She helps people communicate better through the use of stories whether it’s in a job interview, a speech to a large audience, on radio or television or to a small group.

Wendy is the founder and CEO of Coaching for Effective Communication, a business she created to help her clients become dynamic, confident speakers who can inspire action by delivering a message that matters.

We got off to a rocky start because Wendy got her Masters degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and I got my Bachelor’s degree from Duke—that makes us mortal enemies. Once we got over the initial hostility, the interview went smoothly.

Wendy gave the secret to telling an effective story in a presentation—1) keep it short 2) have a central character or hero, even if that hero is you 3) describe the central character fully 4) have a memorable quote from the central character and 5) have the story lead the listener to another time or place from where they are now. Humans respond to stories that make us feel rather than illustrate facts.

Listen to the entire interivew below: